New EU rules for packaging – what does it mean for the seafood industry? 

The EU has adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a new regulation for transport packaging that aims to reduce waste and promote a circular economy.

This regulation will have consequences for the Norwegian seafood industry, and to give the industry insight into the new requirements, we organized a webinar on February 13, 2025 with contributions from Norner, Sjømatbedriftene, Circmar and Grieg Seafood . 

In the webinar, participants received an overview of what the new rules entail, how they will affect seafood players, and what needs to be done going forward to be in line with the regulations. 

What does PPWR entail? 

• Stricter requirements for recyclability – Packaging must not only be recyclable, but actually recyclable on a large scale. 

• Increased requirements for reuse – By 2030, 40% of transport and sales packaging must be reusable. This requirement increases to 70% by 2040. 

• Reducing packaging waste – Europe must cut packaging by at least 19% by 2030. 

How does this affect the seafood industry? 

When the PPWR comes into force, it will include important solutions for transport packaging, so the seafood industry will need to find new ways to meet the requirements, either by adapting existing systems or developing new, more sustainable alternatives. 

Although the details are still being worked out, there are only 18 months left for the industry to adapt to the requirements of the new regulation. As mentioned in the webinar, those companies that start this transition now will be able to position themselves for the future.  

 
Thanks to our experts 

We thank our experts for the insights they shared in the webinar:  

Robert Eriksson , Seafood Companies
Jostein Iversen , Grieg Seafood
Thor Kamfjord , Norse
Espen Ramsbacher , Circmar
Solveig Holm , NCE Seafood  

  

Want to learn more? Watch the recording of the webinar here